Within the Pages

Chapter 18

"Not again!" I cry out. "Why can't this stupid wand work right!" My frustration overwhelms me and I throw the wand to the ground with as much force as I can muster. The moment it hits the ground it snaps and all the magic that was contained in the wand explodes sending all of us flying backwards.

"Oh no oh no oh noooo. What have I done" I scream as I get up off the ground. I look over at my dad who seems to be struggling to keep his rage down. "I'm so sorry." I squeak as I start to break down and cry. I don't usually cry. I think the last time I cried I was eight.

Dad rests the rage down deep inside so I can no longer see the rage on his face. "It's fine Charlie. We will find another way to get to Wonderland. You did manage to get through Red Riding Hood and Goldilocks without the wand. I'm sure we can do it again. We don't have too many books left after all."

"Books?" Goldilocks and Lancelot question at the same time.

My dad and I exchange a glance. He raises his eyebrows at me. Oh common. He's the one to slip up and he wants me to explain it. I turn to Goldilocks and Lancelot. "Ugh.......My dad and I have a shared love of books. We like to think of this as an adventure in a book so that the weight of what's actually going on doesn't get to us as much." I see my dad do a small nod in the corner of my eye. Good enough explanation I guess.

"Oh I see....Sorry to bring that up." Lancelot says looking down as if ashamed.

"It's alright. You didn't know." My dad jumps in. Finally. It's lucky I came up with a good enough excuse.

It's awkward silence for about a minute as we just stand on the yellow brick road looking around.

"So should we follow the brick road?" Goldilocks asks interrupting the silence.

"I guess we should." I reply.

The yellow brick road does not seem to be wide enough for all of us to walk along in a horizontal line so we have to walk in twos down the road. I really do not want to be walking next to my dad in case he flips out about the broken wands so I quickly dash to stand by Goldilocks. "So I was thinking....Mind if I call you Goldie?"

"Oh sure go ahead. I should have said you could earlier. All my friends used to call me that....Well the friends that I managed to have anyways."

Well this got depressing pretty quick. Change of subject. "Oh." I'm at a loss for words. I've got to say something quick.

"You guys going or do you want us to go ahead of you?" Lancelot asks. "Actually I think it would be a good idea if we went in front of you. I don't know this land very well and I need to make sure you are safe."

Well I'm glad to have the interruption. "Sure thanks."

Lancelot and dad step around us and start start walking in front of us down the line of yellow that expands out as far as we can see into yet another forest. I notice dad looking around just as much as Lancelot, if not more. Is it possible that he hasn't been here before? Maybe he never got this far in the books.

"What were we talking about again?" Goldilocks asks, interrupting my thoughts.

"I don't remember." I reply.

"Ok...." We keep walking after the two in front of us. "What do you like doing?"

"I like to read." I'm so glad she switched to a topic that wouldn't make her upset.

"Really?" Her eyes lift in interest. "I don't know any people that like to read. What's so good about reading?"

"What's so good about reading?" I repeat in wonder. "What isn't good about reading? Books are portals into another world." If only she knew how literally I am talking.

"Portals into another world? What other world? Learning how to make brownies or cookies isn't another world. Reading a how to manual about how to fix a roof isn't another world."

Is it possible she doesn't have fiction books in her world? I'm about to ask when I see Lancelot and dad running back to us. "Flying monkeys!!!!" He yells to us. I'm confused for a moment but then I notice about a dozen monkeys with wings flying toward us and when I look back I see even more behind us. No wonder dad and mom never came into this world.